IXM Joins as Sustaining Partner of the Child Rights Action Hub DRC

As more companies recognise the need to take concrete steps to reduce child labour risks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector as part of their risk-based human rights due diligence, IXM, a leading global metal trading company, has become an official Sustaining Partner of the Child Rights Action Hub DRC.

Over the next three years, IXM’s partnership will help strengthen the Action Hub’s work to protect children, support youth access to decent work, and build the capacity of local civil society organisations (CSOs) to manage and prevent child labour cases. IXM joins close to a dozen other companies and organisations that are contributing to long-term, systemic solutions within the copper-cobalt supply chain in the DRC.

“As a company connected to the copper-cobalt supply chain in the DRC, we have a responsibility to act and we know that responsibility comes with involvement, which is why we partnered with the Child Rights Action Hub.” Sara Olsson, Responsible Business Manager, IXM  

IXM’s funding will directly support:

• Integration of children into the Child Labour Remediation Programme, ensuring access to education, a monthly living stipend, ongoing monitoring through a dedicated case manager, as well as medical and child protection support until the child reaches age 16

• Pathways to decent work for youth, diverting young people aged 16-18from hazardous mining through safe, skills-based employment and training. It links motivated young people with companies seeking to build a responsible, skilled workforce. For younger adolescents, apprenticeships in local workshops—such as carpentry and sewing—provide practical experience in safe environments.

• Capacity building for local CSOs, including training on child labour case management, monitoring, and community engagement, to strengthen the overall Hub ecosystem. These efforts strengthen collaboration and help uphold a sustainable, locally driven system for preventing and remediating child labour in the long term.

By investing in the DRC Hub, companies like IXM are taking tangible, consistent action against child labour in cobalt artisanal and small-scale mining. Such collaboration drives real change on the ground, protecting children and communities while helping businesses safeguard their supply chains and reputations as responsible buyers.

Child Rights Action Hub Supporters